


The Second Trouble

by heartheldhostage



Category: Haven - Fandom
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 21:43:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1957128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartheldhostage/pseuds/heartheldhostage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Duke was the only one known to have more than one Trouble, and it nearly killed him. What if he wasn't the only one?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Second Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> I neither own nor am involved in Haven in any way. Story nor characters belong to me.
> 
> Picks up at the end of season 4. Just my crazy idea of where things could go, not where they will or, necessarily, where I'd like.

The Second Trouble

 

Duke was sitting alone drinking at the bar of The Grey Gull. It had been two weeks since Mara had returned and started wreaking havoc on Haven. It had been two weeks since Dwight had helped him bury Jennifer in the field he'd buried Wade in - hewas coming to think of it as Crocker's Field.

He heard the door open and someone walk in. Without even looking to see who it might be he said, “We're closed. Now get the hell out.”

“Duke.”

Duke's head shot up. He knew that voice. It was impossible that she was here. She left over a year ago. He stared at the amount of alcohol left in the bottle. “I must be drunker than I thought,” he said. He turned around slowly to see Julia Carr giving him that don't-try-to-fool-me-I-know-better-look that had always irritated him to no end.

“Well I'll be damned. The dead have returned to Haven...again. Who did Mara give this Trouble to this time?” Duke asked.

Julia stepped closer to him. “I'm not dead, Duke. You knew I went back to Africa, right?” she asked. “I really am here, Duke,” she said as she reached out her hand to him.

Duke touched Julia's arm and found her to be really there. He rubbed his neck and downed the last of his drink. “Well, either you're telling the truth or Mara has charged the hell out of the ghost Trouble.”

“Who is Mara?” Julia asked. “And where is Audrey? I was just upstairs, but she didn't answer the door.”

Duke turned back to the bar. He picked up the whiskey, his glass, and a clean glass before he walked to the nearest table and indicated that Julia should have a seat. He sat, poured two drinks, and pushed one toward Julia. “You're going to need this.”

Duke spent the next hour and a half catching Julia up on the Haven events of the past year. She listened as intently as a good therapist would, only occasionally interrupting him for clarification. She was stunned. They sat in silence for several moments after Duke had finished.

Duke downed several more drinks while Julia let things sink in.

“I'm sorry about Jennifer, Duke. It's obvious you cared a great deal for her,” Julia said softly.

Duke studied her face for any sign of mockery. He found only genuine concern. “Yeah, I did. I won't make the mistake of caring about anyone again.” He poured them both another drink.

Julia moved from the chair across from Duke to the one beside him. She put her hand on his forearm. “Duke, you can't isolate yourself this way. You need the support of your friends, and Haven needs you.”

Duke gave her a bitter look. “Haven needs me? _Haven needs me?_ What the hell good have I done for Haven? I didn't keep you safe enough to stop you from leaving. I didn't stop Nathan from breaking the cycle. I didn't stop Audrey from becoming Mara. I didn't save my brother or Jennifer. Yeah, Haven really needs me. Just leave it alone, Julia.” Duke got up and went to the bar for another bottle of whiskey. “Just leave me alone. Get out of Haven and go back to Africa while you can.”

Julia followed him to the bar. She turned him around and hugged him. “No, Duke, I won't.”

Duke started to pull away, but Julia hugged him tighter. He gave in and wrapped his arms around her. They stood that way for several minutes as Duke fought the tears that threatened to fall.

Julia pulled away and walked around the bar. She pretended not to watch Duke try to pull himself together as she made a large pot of strong coffee.

Duke opened the door to the back deck and leaned against the frame. The ocean breeze was cool and made him consider putting on his coat, but he knew the cold and the coffee would help him sober up. Julia brought their coffee and his coat to the door. They walked onto the deck under a starless, moonless night sky. They drank their coffee in silence while they both processed their thoughts.

Duke soon took Julia's cup and went inside. When he returned with full cups he said, “You're not going to let me wallow in self pity, are you?”

“That's not your style, Duke. And from what you've told me, we have enough people who aren't themselves around here as it is,” Julia answered.

“True enough,” Duke agreed, “and thanks.”

She gave him a nod and a trace of a smile. “You do realize that the only chance we have to get rid of Mara and get Audrey back is for you and Nathan to work together,” she said.

Duke shook his head. “Nathan doesn't want me anywhere near Mara. He's afraid I'll try to kill her. Honestly, I just might. Besides, if Audrey's love for Nathan hasn't brought her back then I don't think anything will.”

“It's going to take both of you,” Julia said. “I was her friend, remember? I know how much she loves each of you in different ways. The appeal of the freedom Mara possesses may outweigh what she feels for one of you, but I don't think there's anything on this earth that could ever outweigh her love for her lover and her best friend.”

“Which is why I need a good distraction,”

Mara stepped out of the darkness behind them. Duke quickly moved to step between them, but Mara was able to step forward and touch Julia's cheek. Julia screamed and began to fall. “Julia!” Duke caught her in his arms and eased her down to the deck.

“I'm okay, Duke,” Julia gasped. “Stop her.”

Duke stood up only to find Mara gone. He bent down to help Julia stand. When his eyes met hers, something happened. He couldn't resist. He leaned down and kissed her passionately. Julia pulled away from him, but Duke grabbed her and kissed her again. She tried to resist him, but his kiss was amazing, and she had fantasized about him so many times. Julia gave in and returned Duke's kiss. All thoughts of Audrey Parker and Haven fell from her mind.

Duke picked her up and carried her upstairs to the apartment over the Gull. He opened the door and carried her to the bed without ever breaking their kiss. He laid her on the bed and stretched out beside her, pressed tight against her. He trailed kisses from her mouth to her neck as he opened her coat and shirt. He kissed from her neck to her chest as he fondled her breasts and unhooked her bra.

She arched her back to him as his kisses reached her breasts. Her breath came in gasps as he licked and sucked her hardened nipples.

She worked his coat and shirt off and explored his bare back with her hands. She moaned his name over and over as he kissed his way slowly down her body. He pulled away from her to remove the rest of her clothes.

Duke sat up straight and shook his head. He looked around the room and said, “What the hell?” He closed his eyes and shook his head again. He tried to will the confusing, unwanted desire away. He opened his eyes to see Julia looking up at him, and he desperately wanted her. He wanted her more than he'd ever wanted Audrey - more than he'd ever wanted anyone.

“Duke, are you okay?” she asked as she propped up on her elbow.

He looked at Julia. He smiled and kissed her. He kissed his way back down her body again as his lips and hands explored her, finally sliding between her legs...

 

 

Duke collapsed on top of her in exhaustion. He rolled over on the bed and closed his eyes. “Julia, what just happened?”

“What I've wanted to happen for a long time,” she admitted.

Duke barely stopped himself from snapping his eyes open to look at her. “Okay, put a pin in that because we are definitely discussing it later, but, no, I mean, one minute I'm hurting like hell for Jennifer, and the next, all I want is to fuck you. You're a doctor. Does that sound normal?”

“Hey, Duke,” Nathan called from the doorway, “Mara escaped...”

“Nathan, don't come in here!” Duke warned.

It was too late. Julia had already made eye contact with Nathan. He rushed to the bed and kissed her. She tried to pull away, but Nathan was much too strong. His hands found her breasts, and he was pushing himself against her hard and fast.

Duke ran around the bed and pulled Nathan off her. Nathan tried to fight Duke off. Duke spun Nathan around and pushed him away from the bed and Julia. When Nathan's eyes locked on Duke's, he came to his senses. “Duke? What's happening?”

Julia had wrapped herself in the sheet. She walked up to them and said, “Nathan, Duke, what is it?”

Out of habit, both Nathan and Duke looked at her. They let go of each other and grabbed her, their hands and mouths again exploring her body. She tried to push them away. As of the same mind, they returned her to the bed. Nathan cuffed her hands to the headboard, and the men continued their sexual exploration.

Julia continued to struggle. Her weak attempts and the tears beginning to fall from her eyes only excited both men more.

After he had climaxed, Duke came to his senses again. “Fuck! Damn Mara to hell!” he exclaimed. “Julia, close your eyes and keep them closed.” Julia did as Duke instructed. He used his shirt as a make-shift blindfold. He pulled Nathan from her. This time when he spun Nathan around he connected his left fist with Nathan's jaw.

Nathan started to charge at Duke. He stopped suddenly and seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before returning his attention to Duke. “Duke, what the hell just happened?” Nathan demanded.

“Nathan, Mara was here. She said something about needing a distraction and touched Julia's cheek before I could stop her. I think she gave Julia a sex Trouble to keep us focused on Julia rather than on her,” Duke said.

“ _What?_ ” Julia exclaimed. She tried to sit up but was still cuffed to the bed. Nathan got his key and released her. Duke gathered her clothes and helped her dress. He whispered in her ear, “Thank you, Julia. I'm glad you're back,” before getting himself dressed.

Nathan was already making calls.

 

 

Julia still had Duke's shirt around her eyes when Dwight's arrival made the small apartment seem the size of Duke's office downstairs. Holding his hand out he asked, “Is this what you wanted?”

“Perfect,” Duke said. He grabbed the mirrored sunglasses from Dwight and helped Julia to her feet. “I'm walking you to the bathroom,” Duke explained as he slipped the sunglasses into her hand. “Take the shirt off your eyes and put these on when you hear the door close.”

“No problem,” Julia said softly.

Dwight spoke up, “Would anyone care to explain things or should I wait for the movie?”

Once he had Julia settled in the bathroom, Duke moved to the kitchen area and grabbed everyone a beer from the fridge he kept stocked just in case Audrey returned. He began to explain this bizarre evening as they drank.

Julia returned to the room and sat in the chair farthest from the men. She accepted the beer Duke offered her and drank it with shaking hands. She could only nod in answer to Duke when he asked if she was alright. Even wearing the mirrored sunglasses, she couldn't bring herself to look at any of them.

“Nathan,” Dwight nearly growled, “I know you love Audrey, but we cannot just let Mara keep running free. She's already proven that a jail cell can't hold her. I don't know what else to do.”

“We are not killing Audrey!” Nathan nearly yelled.

“Nathan,” Julia spoke softly but without a tremor in her voice, “I saw that woman. She looks like Audrey, but she's not Audrey. If you and Duke confronting her together doesn't bring Audrey back then that woman has to die.”

“You're still traumatized, Julia. You don't know what you're saying,” Nathan calmly protested.

“I think she does, Nate,” Duke said calmly as he put his hand on his friend's shoulder. “That's almost exactly what she said to me before Mara stepped out of the shadows. That's what Mara was responding to when she said she needed a distraction. You and I have to do this together, Nate. If we can't bring Audrey back together, well...I don't know what else to do besides kill her.”

Nathan paced the small living area rubbing his hands over his face. “Maybe we can throw her through the door like William.”

Duke blanched. Dwight said, “We don't have anyone to open the door anymore, Nathan.”

“Whatever we end up doing, we can't do anything until we find her,” Duke said.

Nathan sat on the couch. “I have everyone looking for her. Haven isn't that big. We should know where she is by morning.”

“Then I suggest we all get some sleep,” Dwight said. “Come on Nathan, I'll drive you home.”

“Good idea, Sasquatch,” Duke nodded. “Call if you hear anything.”

“Will do,” Dwight said and left with Nathan.

“You don't think Nathan will do anything crazy, do you?” Julia asked Duke.

“Oh, he's definitely going to try, but Sasquatch won't let him,” Duke answered. “Now, honestly, how are you feeling?”

Julia, head still down, almost smiled, “You're really going to try to shrink me, Duke?”

“Turn about is fair play, you know?” he teased. “Now answer me. How are you?”

Julia didn't speak, but Duke saw the tears flow from under the edge of the sunglasses. He sat on the arm of the chair she was sitting in. He started to hug her, but wasn't sure if his touch would be welcomed. She leaned against him and put her hand on his chest. At that Duke hugged her tightly to him.

He picked her up and laid her on the bed. She held him close when he started to pull away so he stretched out beside her again thinking how different it was this time. He held her tight as she sobbed until her chest hurt.

“It's okay, Julia, let it out. You're okay now. I won't let it happen again. I promise I won't. No one is going to hurt you. It's going to be okay,” Duke soothed her as he rubbed her head and back.

“I don't know if I feel like I was the rapist or the victim,” Julia mumbled.

“Really? We're the ones who handcuffed you to the bed,” Duke reminded her.

“Nathan did that, and he wasn't himself. He was responding to my Trouble. You both were. It was at least as much my fault as his or yours,” Julia said.

Duke wished he could look her in the eye. “No. It was not your fault at all. You didn't ask Mara for this Trouble. She did this. All three of us are her victims...and not for the first time. How many Troubled people have we reminded that their Troubles weren't their fault? How many, Julia?”

“Far too many. You're right, Duke. Thank you.”

"Now let's get some sleep. We're going to find Mara tomorrow. I just hope I can bring Audrey home.”

It took a long time for Julia to feel at ease enough to fall asleep. Duke held her the rest of the night. He listened for any sound that might indicate Mara had returned to do more damage. All he heard was the soothing sounds of the ocean, but, as much as he loved it, not even that could lull him to sleep.

 

 

As soon as Nathan had passed out, Dwight had carried the not-light-as-a-feather man to his own bed. Shoes, badge, and gun removed, Dwight covered his friend with a blanket. He wasn't worried about Nathan waking for a few hours because of the pill he'd slipped into the man's last beer. It was nothing that would hurt him. It was also nothing that would allow Nathan to sneak off and do something stupid.

Dwight rechecked the locks on all his windows and doors, doubled checked all his guns, rubber bullets of course, and settled down in his recliner to rest his body without sleeping. He reviewed all Mara's actions since that evening under the lighthouse trying to determine her endgame.

She wanted William back. She wanted that badly enough that she had healed Duke to get everyone on her side. She hadn't been able to heal Jennifer though. Even if she had that would still have left her one person down to reopen the door to the other world. As it stood now, she was down two people.

Mara had spent a good deal of time that first week giving out new Troubles and tweaking old ones - Troubles that used to be almost harmless had now left four people dead and two in critical condition. When they had finally caught her, she'd said she was making a point about how much worse things would be if someone didn't help her discover a way to get William back.

Mara and Audrey seemed to be complete polar opposites. Mara not only enjoyed the Troubles, she took great pride in them. Audrey found them fascinating, mainly as puzzles to solve but - she hated any Trouble that was truly dangerous.

Mara was so focused on William, the man she loved, that she would do anything, hurt anyone, to get him back. Audrey was focused on helping other people. She was willing to sacrifice herself and her love for Nathan to give the Troubled a 27 year break.

Dwight was hoping to find some common ground the two personalities shared to give Audrey a chance to fight to the surface, but he was damned if he could see any. For once in his life in Haven, he had no idea what to do to clean this mess up.

His television flashed off and back on. To anyone outside it looked like he was changing the channel. To Dwight it was his motion sensor alarm informing him that someone was lurking around his backyard. He slid out of his chair, staying low to the floor, and belly-crawled into the kitchen. He slid backwards behind the island counter and aimed his gun toward the door.

Dozens of those dark matter goo balls seeped in under the door and began swirling in the middle of his kitchen. They coalesced into the thug they called “Heavy.” “ _Fuck,_ ” Dwight though, “ _can't we ever catch a damn break?_ ”

Dwight was grabbed from behind and his head was slammed into the floor. “Heavy” unlocked and opened the door. Mara entered the kitchen. She walked over to Dwight, leaned down, and touched his face.

“No,” she said standing. “It has to be the cop. Get him.”

“Sinister” and “Heavy” left the kitchen. After a couple of moments they returned carrying Nathan. Mara smiled, “Let's go.”

 

 

Duke heard the footsteps pounding like thunder coming closer up the stairs. He dived for the gun Audrey kept in her nightstand and was aiming it at the door when Dwight burst in, breaking the lock. “Fuck, Sasquatch! I almost blew your damn head off!” Duke exclaimed. Julia had huddled against the headboard behind Duke.

“Nathan's gone,” Dwight said.

“What the hell does he think he's up to?” Duke grumbled, climbing off the bed.

“No, Duke. They took him. 'Sinister' and 'Heavy' broke into my house last night. They knocked me out. When I came to, Nathan was gone. His boots, gun, and badge are still in my bedroom,” Dwight said.

“Damn! I should have known it was too much to ask that William had taken those goo-bags with him,” Duke said.

“What do we do now?” asked Julia.

“We don't do anything. Duke and I will find those assholes. You are going to be staying put somewhere safe,” Dwight said.

“Where exactly would that be, Sasquatch? Those goo-for-brains assholes kidnapped Nathan right out of your fortress of a house, and Mara escaped a locked jail cell. Where exactly is safe?” Duke asked.

“I'm certainly not staying here alone,” Julia asserted.

Dwight scowled. “Are you suggesting you come with us?”

“Hell no!” Duke grumbled. “Maybe Vince and Dave will keep an eye on her.”

“Well, let's get going then,” Julia said. She was already out the door.

Vince and Dave nearly fell out of their chairs when they laid eyes on Julia.

“I guess maybe we should have called ahead,” Duke chuckled.

“You're back?” asked Dave.

“Well, doesn't that seem kind of obvious, Dave?” Vince replied.

“We hate to drop this bombshell on you and run, but we have business to take care of,” Dwight said. “We'll let Julia fill you in on the important parts.” Dwight leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Don't let them make you tell them anything you aren't comfortable with. Remember, they're cagey old goats.”

Julia nodded at Dwight and sat down in the chair by Vince's desk.

“She's been through hell. If either of you makes it worse, Guard or no Guard, you'll answer to me. Got that?” Duke growled.

“Understood,” Dave said.

“We won't push her,” Vince said. “We'll help her as much as we can.”

“Damn right you will,” Duke said as he followed Dwight out the door.

“You can take your sunglasses off if you like, Julia. I can pull the shades for you,” Dave said in as friendly a voice as he possessed.

“No, thank you. That's part of why the guys want me to stay here with you.” Julia filled them in on all but the most embarrassing details of the previous night.

“All these years we've wasted trying to help her help this town when she's the one who hurt us all in the first place,” Vince shook his head. “I swear if I'd known any of this back then, I would have killed her myself years ago.”

“There's no way you could have known. That's the way it was set up. We both know that, don't we?” Julia mused aloud.

“We may have found something about that,” Dave stated. He pulled out a very old looking journal and opened it to a particular page. He eased himself around his desk to Vince's and laid the book in front of Julia, deliberately not touching her after reading between the lines about what had happened the previous night.

“Oh, God,” Julia said when the words in front of her finally sank in. “There's no way he can do it. There's just no way.”

“He has to,” Vince said. “Otherwise, we all live in hell forever.”

 

 

Nathan couldn't seem to open his eyes. He felt a weight in his lap. He slowly realized he felt skin-to-skin contact. His eyes opened. She was straddling his legs, both of them naked. She traced patterns on his chest with her fingertips. He moved his hips in time with hers.

“Well, hello there, Sleepyhead.” She leaned down and kissed him roughly, still riding him hard and fast.

“Audrey,” Nathan moaned, still groggy and not fully comprehending the situation.

She laughed. It was the most evil, hateful thing Nathan had ever heard. “Hardly! I just wanted to see what that dumb blonde found so fascinating about you before your friends get here. Honestly, I can't say there's much to be fascinated about at all.”

“What the hell do you want, Mara?” Nathan demanded. “You know there's no way to get William back.”

“We'll see about that. Dave will find a way.”

“Dave will never open that door again.”

She leaned down, face to face with him, “Dave will find a way, and he will open that door, or everyone in Haven will die...starting with you.”

Nathan laughed in her face. “Dave would happily sacrifice all of us to keep that door shut. You lose. You may as well give up and end the Troubles now. It's over for you and lover boy. He's gone for good, and you're stuck here.”

Mara screamed in rage and slapped Nathan as hard as she could. “Teach him a lesson.” she backed away as “Sinister” and “Heavy” stepped forward and began beating Nathan.

“Do you really think this matters to me?” he coughed between blows. “You know I can't feel your Chihuahuas,” he laughed.

“I bet you'll feel this,” she yelled as she stepped between the goo boys and put her hand on Nathan's chest. He screamed in pain. She pulled back and grinned, her hand print glowing in the dim light, “Who's laughing now, numbskull? Four Troubles tend to hurt like hell from the inside out. Be nice before I decide to give you a fifth one. Fifth ones can be killer. Remember your friend Duke?”

“You might as well go ahead and kill me, Mara. You're not getting William back,” Nathan forced out between screams of agony.

“Yes, I will,” she snapped. “Just wait and see.” She paced in circles around the door to the other world. She sighed in frustration and looked at her goons, “I can't take any more of him. Knock him out.”

“Sinister”and “Heavy” beat Nathan in the head until he was unconscious. Even then he whimpered in pain.

 

 

“What makes you think they're at the lighthouse, Sasquatch?” Duke asked as Dwight sped down the road.

“Security cameras caught them turning this way. I know there are dozens of other places in this direction, but it can't hurt to check.”

“Fair enough,” Duke replied. “The real problem is how we fight the Wonder Twins when we get there.”

“Tasers didn't work. I doubt guns would work even if we could use them. They're goo, right? What fights goo?”

“They break apart into dozens of little goo balls. How are we supposed to fight that many at once with anything?”

"They left no traces when they flew out of our heads at the station that day, right? Maybe they're made of energy. Maybe we can somehow ground them and make them dissipate.”

Duke stared at the man, “After all this time, you still believe in miracles?”

“I'm open to other suggestions.”

“Jumper cables it is,” Duke said with a softly whispered prayer to Buddha that this would work.

They pulled up as closely as they could to the lighthouse without giving themselves away. They grabbed Dwight's jumper cables and his rubber bullet loaded guns, and set out on the two mile hike. Each hoping, but neither voicing the thought, that Nathan was okay.

 

 

She was furious. Nathan was still unconscious and whimpering in a corner of the cave as she continued to pace around the door. She knew he was right. There was no way in hell Dave would ever open that door again. She had the key, it looked to all the world like a book this time, and no way to use it. It had taken her goons over a week to find where these worthless creatures had hidden it. Her goons couldn't touch it. Neither could she. She'd had to use a Troubled person to get the key and bring it here. It now sat, untouched, in the middle of the door.

She knew that bastard Howard had placed more people here. She was sure of it, but she couldn't find them. The key was no use without the doorkeepers. She was running out of ideas, and that pissed her off even more.

She heard the sounds of the fight outside and smiled. Crocker and the chief would just be more motivation for Dave to get his ass in gear and find the other doorkeepers. She nodded at her favorite toy, the big one, to go help bring those creatures into the cave. She was shocked to see not only Crocker and that cop walk in under their own power, but they touched her toy with some kind of cables and he exploded. He didn't split into separate balls of dark matter. He exploded into oblivion.

Dwight ran to Nathan while Duke faced Mara. She laughed at him as he paced his way around her.

“Do you really think getting rid of my toys will stop me? It's really no problem to make a couple more.”

Duke punched her in the face, and she landed on the ground. She jumped up and attacked him, pushing him back and pinning him against the wall of the cavern. She screamed at the piercing pain in her side. She turned, stunned to see Nathan with the knife in his hands. As she slipped to the floor, gasping for breath, she moaned, “You were supposed to love her too much to do that. That was your second Trouble.”

“You screwed up, Mara. You were too angry when you gave me that fourth Trouble. It morphed my Audrey Trouble into pure hatred of you,” Nathan glared at her. He watched as she took her last breath. His skin tingled at the sensation of the cool air in the cavern.

He looked from Duke to Dwight and back. “It's over.” Nathan collapsed to the ground.

“You get the truck,” Dwight said tossing Duke his keys. “I'll start cleaning here.”

 

 

Vince jumped at the pain in his left arm the same time Julia felt a burning pain in her left shoulder blade. He rolled up his sleeve to see that his birthmark had appeared on its own and was shining as bright as the noonday sun. Only Julia was able to watch because of the sunglasses. The mark slowly dimmed and faded away entirely. Their pain eased at the same time.

“What do you think that means?” she asked.

“I have no idea. That's never happened before,” Vince answered in amazement.

“You don't think that maybe...he couldn't have, could he?” Dave stuttered.

“I don't know,” Vince replied.

“Vince, he had to have killed her. That's what your ancestors set the cycle in motion for. Someone who truly loved her had to kill her to end the Troubles. No one back then could do it because they all knew what she'd done and hated her. After that was forgotten, people wanted to help her just like we did,” Dave said.

“That's all true, but the boys don't know any of this yet. They don't know that her death by Nathan's hands will end it all for good. I don't know if he has the strength to do it anyway,” Vince replied.

“It just says someone who loves her. It could have been Duke,” Julia said.

“Check the journal again, Dave,” Vince suggested. “See if it mentions the family birthmark reacting to the end of the Troubles.”

Dave skimmed quickly through the journal. “Here! Here it is!”

“It comes and goes with our desire

Non-stop until the burning fire

Indicates through family skin

That Troubles now have seen their end”

Julia carefully removed her sunglasses and looked at Dave and Vince. They smiled at her, but remained where they were. “It's really over,” she sighed with relief.

The three sat in silence and waited for word from Duke and Dwight about how the Troubles had ended.

 

 

Dwight, Duke, and Nathan were just finishing replacing the dirt over Mara's grave. They had decided to bury her in plot 301 in Potter's Field. They each slumped down on the grass and wondered why things couldn't have been different, why they'd had to lose so many family and friends.

“You were really Troubled to love Audrey beyond all reason?” Dwight finally asked.

“Yeah. It was her safety net in case things went haywire. I think Duke was, too.”

“Me?” Duke asked. “Why do you think that?”

“Well, she needed me to destroy the Barn so she could stay out of it. She needed you not to want her dead like your ancestors. I just wish I knew when and how she gave us that Trouble,” Nathan answered.

“She did know us both as kids,” Duke mused. “That had to have been when she did it.”

“That would mean Lucy Ripley figured everything out before the Guard forced her into the Barn,” Dwight said.

“Yeah, but she knew her next personality wouldn't stop until she found the Colorado Kid. She knew that Nate and I would be old enough and strong enough to be able to help her this time.”

“It's the only explanation,” Nathan agreed.

“But how is it that it had to be you, Nate? It was my family hunting her down all these years.”

“Because of my curse. The numbness made me even more of a slave to her because I could feel her touch. It was never that she had to kill someone she loved. It was that someone who loved her had to kill her. She thought my Trouble would help her keep me under control even when she surfaced and replaced Audrey.”

“At least it's all over,” Dwight said. He stood and grabbed his shovel on his way to his truck.

Nathan said softly to Duke, “Mind if I come by later?”

“I'll be on the Rouge all night.”

The men left Potter's Field. None of them ever returned.

 

 

Nathan didn't even bother announcing himself. He boarded the boat and went below to find Duke sitting at his table. Duke didn't say a word. He poured another drink and slid it to Nathan. They drank in silence for a while. It had been years since they had felt this comfortable with each other. There was no sulking or name calling, no hurt feelings or threats. Just peace.

“I think we both had another Trouble,” Nathan began.

“That would be a record breaking three for each of us,” Duke grinned. What was the third one?”

“Animosity toward each other. Think about it. We're sitting here like old friends who never even had a disagreement. When was the last time that happened?”

“Had to be before your mom died,” Duke said.

“Exactly. Back when we were kids. Back when Lucy was around.”

“Why do you think she would want us to hate each other? Wouldn't we be better protectors if we worked together?”

“Maybe so, but if she needed us both to fall in love with her next incarnation, we would both be fiercely protective of her even from each other - exactly like we were for the last year and a half. She needed us fighting in case one of us saw through her.”

Duke said. “That bitch was a hell of a planner.” He shook his head before he finished his drink.

Nathan poured them both another drink from the bottle on the table. “Makes me wonder where we would be now without her damn Troubles.”

“I know where we'd be, Nate,” Duke said as he leaned across the table. He cupped Nathan's face in his hand and kissed him. They stood up and moved around the table and embraced each other. They kissed again, slowly, deeply, passionately. Duke took Nathan's hand and led him to the bedroom. They stripped their clothing and fell into bed. They spent the night holding each other close.

Three days later Nathan was living with Duke on the Cape Rouge.


End file.
